Picture-frame or easel.



PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

G. MBNDBL.

PICTURE FRAME 0R EAS'EL.

APPLICATION FILED D160. 22 1902.

2 BHEETSQSHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR mum/mg WITNESSES:

No. 733,860. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

G. MENDEL.

PICTURE FRAME 0R BASEL- APPLICATION TILED Mo. 2:, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D mvEN bR v ,fi

- TORNEYS I UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 19 03.

'PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE MENDEL, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 SGHIMPER COMPANY,

' OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A FIRM.

PlCTU RE-QFRAMIEIDR EAS EL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,860, dated July 14,1903.

Application filed December 22, 1902. SerialNo- 136,109. (No model-7 Toall whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE MENDEL,-a citi-' zen of the United States,residing at New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York,have invented and produced a new and useful Improvement in Picture-JFrames or Easels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numeralsof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide for standing pictureframes, small fancy easels, mirrors, and the like aback support or bracewhich shall be adjust-able to tip the easel at difierent angles, to thusadapt one size and style of support to various sizes of pictures, tosecure a simple and cheap construction,-and to obtain other advantagesand results, some of which will be referred to hereinafter in connectionwith the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved picture-frame or easel audit: thearrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all-substantiallyas' will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses ofthe claim. 1

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures,Figure 1 shows in perspective my invention in its preferred form. Fig. 2is a rear elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 a vertical centralsection ason line 00, Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are similar views, respectively,of a modified construction sometimes preferred.

In saiddrawings, 2 indicates a pictureframe of any approved style,providing at the front an ornamental border 3 and adapted to receive atthe rear a backing 4, which is usuallyof stiff pasteboard or the like.To this backing'a my improved support or brace is attached. Said supportcomprises an attachingplate 5, preferably of thin sheet metal, withintegral spurs 6 6 6 at its edges,

adapted to be forced through the backing 4t iand clenched on the otherside, as shown in -Figs. 3 and 6 more especially. At the loweroutwardly-turned extremities 9 9 of the upper ends 10 10 of a doubledwire or loop, forming a leg 11. The bottom part of said leg is spread toafford a wide foot, and'the upper end portions 10 10, above referred to,are substantially parallel to each other. Upon said parallel upper endportions 10 10 of the leg 11 is a slide 12, comprising a piece of sheetmetal extending transversely of said wires 10 10 and having its endswrapped loosely therearound, as at 13. Said slide confines the ends 1010 against their normal tendency to spring outwardly apart, and thus afriction is produced between said slide and its slideway suflicient tohold the slide in whatever position it is left.

In the preferred construction an integral tongue 14 extends upward andoutward from the top edge of the slide 12 and is adapted at its freeupper extremity to engage a vertical series of ratchet-teeth l5, stampedin the attaching-plate 5 or otherwise formed thereon. Obviously uponshifting the slide 12 to cause the tongue 1410 engage a higher or lowerpart of the series of ratchet-teeth 15 a corresponding change in theinclination of the picture-frame issecured, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Under some conditions I may, instead of employing the tongue 14 andratchet-teeth 15, connect the slide 12 to the backing 4 by a chain 16 orthe like, and obv'iouslyin this case the inclination of the frame oreasel will vary with the position of the slide. Other modifications mayalso be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims, and I do.

not wish to be understood as limiting myself by the positive descriptiveterms herein except as the state of the art and the scope of said claimsmay require.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. Thecombination of a backing 4, a resilient loop or leg of Wire havingparallel end portions pivoted at their extremities to the backing, aslide on said parallel portions, and means carried by said slide forlimiting angular movement of the leg with reference to the backing,

2. The combination of the backing 4:, an attaching-plate adapted to besecured theretoand providing a series of stops, a leg or brace hinged tosaid attaching-plate and having resilient parallel portions, and a slideon said parallel portions having a tongue or extension adapted to engagesaid stops.

3. The combination with asheet-metal plate providing at its edgesattaching-lugs 6 and pivotal ears 7v and having at its middle portion aseries of stops, of a leg comprising a piece of resilient Wire havingits end portions bent parallel and pivoted at their extremities in saidears, and a slide upon said parallel portions having a tongue adapted toengage said stops.

4. The combination of a backing, a leg of resilient wire hinged to saidbacking and providing substantially parallel portions tending to springapart, a slide hooked at its opposite ends around said parallel portionsof the leg, and means upon said slide for limiting angular movement ofthe leg with respect to the backing.

5. The combination with a backing presenting outwardly a vertical seriesof teeth, of a leg comprising a piece of resilient wire bent to form atits upper part parallel portions normally tending to spring apart andbeing hinged to said backing, a slide comprising a piece of sheet metalwrapped at its ends loosely around said parallel portions of the leg andlimiting their tendency to spring apart, and a tongue projecting fromsaid slide to engage said series of teeth on the backing.

6.- The combination of-a backing, a wire loop or leg hinged to saidbacking and having parallel portions in resilient relation, a slidemounted on said resilient parallel portions to move longitudinallythereof, and means upon said slide for limiting the angular movement ofsaid leg with respect to the backing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this15th day of December, 1902.

GEORGE MENDEL.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL M. EVERETT, O. B. PI'INEY.

